Where the hell do I even begin with this story? Indeed a picture is worth a thousand here, if not a tell-all novel. Let’s start from left to right. Yes, that’s Joe Manganiello (True Blood), Alex Pettyfer (I Am Number Four), Matthew McConaughey (Lincoln Lawyer) and Channing Tatum. (G.I. Joe, Step Up) And just in case you’re wondering, no, this isn’t Biloxi Blues: The Musical.
The film is Magic Mike, inspired by Tatum’s actual real-life experiences working as a stripper before his acting career took off. The fact that Tatum was once a stripper should come as a shock to absolutely no one. Despite not being able to act his way out of a paper bag, this dude has five (count ‘em FIVE) movies slated for over the next twelve months; Haywire, The Vow, 21 Jump Street, G.I. Joe Retaliation, and Foxcatcher.
I think that makes him eligible for the Jude Law award for most films within one calendar year. A title also held by former co-star Amanda Seyfried and Olivia Wilde.
Then there’s McConaughey, who at 42 looks to be rocking a set of ‘How do you like me now Ryan Gosling?’ six-pack abs. After last year’s indie underdog, The Lincoln Lawyer, McConaughey seems primed to remind audiences that he not only has some acting chops but that he’s still a sex symbol. He plays Dallas, a former stripper who owns the club where the boys strut their stuff.
No matter how titillating the world of male strippers can be, the most surprising thing is that the film is being helmed by the soon-to-be-retired, Steven Soderbergh. (who should be eligible for the Brett Favre retirement award by now) Magic Mike is slated to be Soderbergh’s antepenultimate film (means ‘third to last’ and yes I had to look that up), so I expect that we’ll be in store for his unconventional directing style, innovative cinematography and Altman-esque approach to the characters. However, since the movie doesn’t come out until June 2012, it seems like we’ll have to wait and see if Magic Mike turns out to be next year’s Full Monty or Showgirls.
